Kitap 8
Artabazus son of Pharnaces, who was already a notable man among the Persians and grew to be yet more so through the Plataean business, escorted the king as far as the passage with sixty thousand men of the army that Mardonius had chosen.
Xerxes, then, was now in Asia (continent)Asia, and when Artabazus came near +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene in his return (for Mardonius was wintering in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly and Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia and making no haste to come to the rest of his army), he thought it right that he should enslave the people of +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea, whom he found in revolt.
When the king had marched away past the town and the Persian fleet had taken flight from Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis, +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea had openly revolted from the barbarians and so too had the rest of the people of +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene.
Thereupon Artabazus laid siege to +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea, and suspecting that +Olynthus [23.3667,40.3] (Perseus) Olynthus too was plotting revolt from the king, he laid siege to it also. This town was held by Bottiaeans who had been driven from the Thermaic gulf by the Macedonians. Having besieged and taken +Olynthus [23.3667,40.3] (Perseus) Olynthus, he brought these men to a lake and there cut their throats and delivered their city over to the charge of Critobulus of +Torone [23.8167,40.05] (Perseus) Torone and the Chalcidian people. It was in this way that the Chalcidians gained possession of +Olynthus [23.3667,40.3] (Perseus) Olynthus.
Having taken +Olynthus [23.3667,40.3] (Perseus) Olynthus, Artabazus dealt immediately with +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea, and his zeal was aided by Timoxenus the general of the Scionaeans, who agreed to betray the place to him. I do not know how the agreement was first made, since there is no information available about it. The result, however, was as I will now show. Whenever Timoxenus wrote a letter to be sent to Artabazus, or Artabazus to Timoxenus, they would wrap it around the shaft of an arrow at the notches, attach feathers to the letter, and shoot it to a place upon which they had agreed.
Timoxenus' plot to betray +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea was, however, discovered, for Artabazus in shooting an arrow to the place agreed upon, missed it and hit the shoulder of a man of +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea. A throng gathered quickly around the man when he was struck (which is a thing that always happens in war), and they straightway took the arrow, found the letter, and carried it to their generals; the rest of their allies of +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene were also there present.
The generals read the letter and perceived who was the traitor, but they resolved for +Scione [23.55,39.95] (Perseus) Scione's sake that they would not condemn Timoxenus with a charge of treason, for fear that the people of +Scione [23.55,39.95] (Perseus) Scione should hereafter be called traitors.
This is how Timoxenus' treachery was brought to light. But when Artabazus had besieged +Potidaea (deserted settlement), Chalcidice, Macedonia, Greece, Europe Potidaea for three months, there was a great ebb-tide in the sea which lasted for a long while, and when the foreigners saw that the sea was turned to a marsh, they prepared to pass over it into +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene.
When they had made their way over two-fifths of it, however, and three yet remained to cross before they could be in +Pallene [23.8833,38.05] (Perseus) Pallene, there came a great flood-tide, higher, as the people of the place say, than any one of the many that had been before. Some of them who did not know how to swim were drowned, and those who knew were slain by the Potidaeans, who came among them in boats.
The Potidaeans say that the cause of the high sea and flood and the Persian disaster lay in the fact that those same Persians who now perished in the sea had profaned the temple and the image of Poseidon which was in the suburb of the city. I think that in saying that this was the cause they are correct. Those who escaped alive were led away by Artabazus to Mardonius in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. This is how the men who had been the king's escort fared.
All that was left of Xerxes' fleet, having in its flight from Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis touched the coast of Asia (continent)Asia and ferried the king and his army over from the Gelibolu Yarimadasi (peninsula), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, AsiaChersonese to Abydus [26.416,40.2] (deserted settlement), Canakkale, Marmara, Turkey, Asia Abydos, wintered at Kyme [24.1167,38.6333] (Perseus)Cyme. Then early in the first dawn of spring they mustered at +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, where some of the ships had wintered. The majority of their fighting men were Persians and Medes.
Mardontes son of Bagaeus and Artayntes son of Artachaees came to be their admirals, and Artayntes chose also his own nephew Ithamitres to have a share in the command. But by reason of the heavy blow dealt them they went no further out to sea westwards, nor did anyone insist that they should so do. They did, however, lie off +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos keeping watch against a revolt in Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia. The whole number of their ships, Ionian and other, was three hundred.
In truth they did not expect that the Greeks would come to Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia, but rather that they would be content to guard their own country. This they thought because the Greeks had not pursued them when they fled from Salamis (island), Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, EuropeSalamis, but had been glad to be quit of them. In regard to the sea, the Persians were at heart beaten men, but they supposed that on land Mardonius would easily prevail.
So they were at +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, and there planned to do what harm they could to their enemies and to listen in the interim for news of how Mardonius' affairs were proceeding.
As for the Greeks, the coming of spring and Mardonius' being in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly moved them to action. They had not yet begun the mustering of their army, but their fleet, one hundred and ten ships, came to +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina.
Their general and admiral was Leutychides son of Menares, who traced his lineage from son to father through Hegesilaus, Hippocratides, Leutychides, Anaxilaus, Archidemus, Anaxandrides, Theopompus, Nicandrus, Charilaus, Eunomus, Polydectes, Prytanis, Euryphon, Procles, Aristodemus, Aristomachus, Cleodaeus, to Hyllus who was the son of Heracles. He was of the second royal house.
All the aforesaid had been kings of Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta, save the seven named first after Leutychides. The general of the Athenians was Xanthippus son of Ariphron.
When all the ships had arrived at +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina, there came to the Greek quarters messengers from the Ionians, the same who a little while before that had gone to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta and entreated the Lacedaemonians to free Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia.
One of these was Herodotus the son of Basileides. These, who at first were seven, made a faction and conspired to slay Strattis, the tyrant of +Chios [26,38.366] (island), Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios, but when their conspiracy became known, one of the accomplices having revealed their enterprise, the six who remained got them secretly out of +Chios [26,38.366] (island), Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Chios, from where they went to Sparta [22.4417,37.0667] (Perseus) Sparta and now to +Aegina [23.433,37.75] (inhabited place), Aegina, Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Aegina, entreating the Greeks to sail to Ionia (region (general)), Europe Ionia.
The Greeks took them as far as Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos, and that not readily, for they, having no knowledge of those parts and thinking that armed men were everywhere, feared all that lay beyond. They supposed too that +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos was no nearer to them than the Pillars of Heracles. So it happened that the barbarians were too disheartened to dare to sail farther west than +Nisos Samos [26.8,37.75] (island), Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece, Europe Samos, while at the same time the Greeks dared to go at the Chians' request no farther east than Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos. It was fear which kept the middle space between them.
The Greeks, then, sailed to Delos [25.2833,37.4] (Perseus)Delos, and Mardonius wintered in +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly. Having his headquarters there he sent a man of +Salahiyeh [40.716,34.75] (deserted settlement), Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, Asia Europus called Mys to visit the places of divination, charging him to inquire of all the oracles which he could test. What it was that he desired to learn from the oracles when he gave this charge, I cannot say, for no one tells of it. I suppose that he sent to inquire concerning his present business, and that alone.
This man Mys is known to have gone to +Levadhia [22.883,38.433] (inhabited place), Boeotia, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Lebadea and to have bribed a man of the country to go down into the cave of Trophonius and to have gone to the place of divination at Abai [22.9583,38.5917] (Perseus)Abae in +Phocis (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Phocis. He went first to Thebes [23.3333,38.325] (Perseus) Thebes where he inquired of Ismenian Apollo (sacrifice is there the way of divination, as at Olympia [21.6333,37.65] (Perseus)Olympia), and moreover he bribed one who was no Theban but a stranger to lie down to sleep in the shrine of Amphiaraus.
No Theban may seek a prophecy there, for Amphiaraus bade them by an oracle to choose which of the two they wanted and forgo the other, and take him either for their prophet or for their ally. They chose that he should be their ally. Therefore no Theban may lie down to sleep in that place.
But at this time there happened, as the Thebans say, a thing at which I marvel greatly. It would seem that this man Mys of +Salahiyeh [40.716,34.75] (deserted settlement), Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, Asia Europus came in his wanderings among the places of divination to the precinct of Ptoan Apollo. This temple is called Ptoum, and belongs to the Thebans. It lies by a hill, above lake +Kopais (dry lake), Boeotia, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Copais, very near to the town Acraephia.
When the man called Mys entered into this temple together with three men of the town who were chosen on the state's behalf to write down the oracles that should be given, straightway the diviner prophesied in a foreign tongue.
The Thebans who followed him were astonished to hear a strange language instead of Greek and knew not what this present matter might be. Mys of +Salahiyeh [40.716,34.75] (deserted settlement), Dayr az-Zawr, Syria, Asia Europus, however, snatched from them the tablet which they carried and wrote on it that which was spoken by the prophet, saying that the words of the oracle were Carian. After writing everything down, he went back to +Thessaly [22.25,39.5] (region), Greece, Europe Thessaly.
Mardonius read whatever was said in the oracles, and presently he sent a messenger to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens, Alexander, a Macedonian, son of Amyntas. Him he sent, partly because the Persians were akin to him; Bubares, a Persian, had taken to wife Gygaea Alexander's sister and Amyntas' daughter, who had borne to him that Amyntas of Asia (continent)Asia who was called by the name of his mother's father, and to whom the king gave +Alabanda [28,37.6] (Perseus) Alabanda a great city in Phrygia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Phrygia for his dwelling. Partly too he sent him because he learned that Alexander was a protector and benefactor to the Athenians.
It was thus that he supposed he could best gain the Athenians for his allies, of whom he heard that they were a numerous and valiant people, and knew that they had been the chief authors of the calamities which had befallen the Persians at sea.
If he gained their friendship he thought he would easily become master of the seas, as truly he would have been. On land he supposed himself to be by much the stronger, and he accordingly reckoned that thus he would have the upper hand of the Greeks. This chanced to be the prediction of the oracles which counseled him to make the Athenians his ally. It was in obedience to this that he sent his messenger.
This Alexander was seventh in descent from Perdiccas, who got for himself the tyranny of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia in the way that I will show. Three brothers of the lineage of Temenus came as banished men from Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos to +Illyria (region (general)), Europe Illyria, Gauanes and Aeropus and Perdiccas; and from +Illyria (region (general)), Europe Illyria they crossed over into the highlands of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia till they came to the town Lebaea.
There they served for wages as thetes in the king's household, one tending horses and another oxen. Perdiccas, who was the youngest, tended the lesser flocks. Now the king's wife cooked their food for them, for in old times the ruling houses among men, and not the common people alone, were lacking in wealth.
Whenever she baked bread, the loaf of the thete Perdiccas grew double in size. Seeing that this kept happening, she told her husband, and it seemed to him when be heard it that this was a portent signifying some great matter. So he sent for his thetes and bade them depart from his territory.
They said it was only just that they should have their wages before they departed. When they spoke of wages, the king was moved to foolishness and said, “That is the wage you merit, and it is that I give you,” pointing to the sunlight that shone down the smoke vent into the house.
Gauanes and Aeropus, who were the elder, stood astonished when they heard that, but the boy said, “We accept what you give, O king,” and with that he took a knife which he had with him and drew a line with it on the floor of the house round the sunlight. When he had done this, he three times gathered up the sunlight into the fold of his garment and went his way with his companions.
So they departed, but one of those who sat nearby declared to the king what this was that the boy had done and how it was of set purpose that the youngest of them had accepted the gift offered. When the king heard this, he was angered, and sent riders after them to slay them. There is, however, in that land a river, to which the descendants from Argos [22.7333,37.6417] (Perseus) Argos of these men offer sacrifice as their deliverer.
This river, when the sons of Temenus had crossed it, rose in such flood that the riders could not cross. So the brothers came to another part of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia and settled near the place called the garden of Midas son of Gordias, where roses grow of themselves, each bearing sixty blossoms and of surpassing fragrance.
In this garden, according to the Macedonian story, Silenus was taken captive. Above it rises the mountain called Bermius, which none can ascend for the wintry cold. From there they issued forth when they had won that country and presently subdued also the rest of Macedonia (region (general)), EuropeMacedonia.
From that Perdiccas Alexander was descended, being the son of Amyntas, who was the son of Alcetes; Alcetes' father was Aeropus, and his was Philippus; Philippus' father was Argaeus, and his again was Perdiccas, who won that lordship.
Such was the lineage of Alexander son of Amyntas. When he came to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens from Mardonius who had sent him, he spoke as follows : “This, Athenians, is what Mardonius says to you:—there is a message come to me from the king, saying, ‘I forgive the Athenians all the offenses which they have committed against me;
and now, Mardonius, I bid you do this:—Give them back their territory and let them choose more for themselves besides, where ever they will, and dwell under their own laws. Rebuild all their temples which I burnt, if they will make a pact with me.’ This is the message, and I must obey it (says Mardonius), unless you take it upon yourselves to hinder me.